Bread-toaster.



A. A. HILL. DECD.

A. B. HILL. EXECUTRIX.

BREAD TOASTER.

/VIK/ENTOR.

A. A. HILL. DECD.

A. B. HILL. EXECUTRIX.

BREAD ToAsTER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4. 19|]- Y 1,297,848, Patented Mau'. 18, 19M),

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

www Smmwanf A TORNEYS,

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

A ARTHUR A.. HILL, DECEASED, LATE OF NEW YORK, N. Y., BY AGNES BLANCHEHILL,

EXECUTRIX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BREAD-TOASTEB.

To all 'whom z't may concern Be it known that ARTHUR A. HILL, deceased,late a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York,1n the borough of Manhattan and State of New York, invented certain newand useful Improvements in Bread-Toasters, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to bread toasters and more particularly to thetype of toaster in which a number of slices of bread are mounted incarriers attached to an endless belt. One of the objects of thisinvention is to provide a toaster of this character which is entirelyelectrical in its operation, the motive power and the heat for toastingthe bread being Iboth supplied by electric current, thereby providing amachine which may be readily controlled to insure the production of auniform grade of toast.

Another object of the invention is to provide a carrier for the slicesof bread which is shaped so that it will not cause the burning of theedges of the slice of bread or other portions in contact with themetallic parts of the carrier.

A further object of the invention isto provide a feed device by means ofwhich the slices of toast may be automatically fed to the carriers anddischarged therefrom when completely toasted.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of theconstructions and combinations which will be hereinafter set forth inconjunction with the accompanying drawings and will be particularlypointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 showsin side elevation a bread toaster constructed inaccordance with the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail showing the feed mechanism.

The bread toaster may be mounted upon any suitable support and in theembodiment shown, a frame work is shown consisting of four standards 1which are secured together adjacent their bottoms by longitudinal crossstruts 2 and also by a shelf 3.' The upper ends of the standards arealso secured together by longitudinal cross struts 4 and 5' which aresecured to the inner, faces of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 18, 1919.

Application led December 4, 1917. Serial No. 205,348.

standards. These cross pieces 4 and 5 are preferably angle irons havingtheir le s 4 and a-extending inwardly as shown ingFig. 3. The standardsare also supported at thelr tops and bottoms by transversely extendingcross rods 7 indicated in Fig. 1. Axles 8 positioned just above andbeneath the cross pieces 5 and 4, respectively, at each end of the frameare rotatably mounted in the standards 1. Each of these axles carry apalr of sprocket wheels 9 which are secured to the axles adjacent thestandards. An endless chain 10 travels over each set of sprocket wheelsand mounted between them are carriers 12 for the slices of toast, thechains and carriers thus constituting an endless belt or conveyer.

Each of the carriers 12 is formed from perforated sheel metal which isfashioned to provide a rectangular frame having open ends. The centralportions of the top and bottom faces of the corner are also open so thatthese faces consist of marginal anges 13. The iianges constituting thebottom face of each rectangular frame carry lugs 15 which are fastenedto the chain Iby means of eyelets 16 as is disclosed in Fig. 3, thecarriers being Adisposed along the chain at only short intervals apart.Mounted upon the legs 4a and 5a of the an le irons 4 and 5 are tracks 17having smoot faces upon which the lugs or ears 15 are adapted to slideas the endless conveyer is moved. These tracks extend substantially theentire length of the pieces 4 and 5 and have their ends curved as at 19to permit the lugs 15 to readily mount and leave the tracks. By thisconstruction the chain is precluded from scraping along the face of thelegs 4a and 58L and thus the friction which would be therefore vcausedeliminated. To add additional rigidiity to the carriers, tieV wires 2Omay be use The endless conveyer is actuated by means of the transmissiondisclosed in Fig. 1 which comprises a small electric motor 21 whichdrives a pulley 22 by means of a belt 23. A pulley 24 mounted at one endof one of the axles 8, is driven through a belt 25 and a small pulley 26mounted upon the shaft carrying the pulley 22. The speed reduction whichis thereby obtained is suiiicient to permit a small high speed electricmotor to be utilized as the motive power.

Referring now to the feed mechanism by means of which the slices oftoast are placed Within the 'carriers and discharged 'therefrom. ln Fig.3 of the drawingthis mechanism is shown in detail. One of the axles 8which carries a pairl of the sprocket Wheels is extended a considerabledistance beyond the frame and is indicated 8' in Fig. 3. At the end ofthis extension is mounted a cam 27 comprising a hub having a pin 28projecting therefrom. The cam is preferably adjustable upon the axle 8by means of a set screw 29 disclosed in Fig. l. Carried by an l..-shapedbracket. 30 which is secured to one of the standards l is a U-sliapedframe 32 which is of a size to receive a slice Y of toast, orvin otherWords, of substantially the same size as one of the carriers l2. rfhisU-shaped frame or feed hopper is disposed so that as the conveyer ismoved, the carriers Willbevsuccessively brought into alinement therewithso that a slice of bread placed Within the U-shaped feed hopper may bedischarged directly into one of the carriers, and if the carrier islilled with a toasted slice of bread, the act of emplacing the freshslice Within the carrier will cause the toasted slice to be discharged.The slice of bread Within the feed hopper 32 is slid into the carrier bya reciprocating pusher-arm 35 which is mounted upon a pair of links 36connected to a pair of bell crank levers 37. One of these bell cranklevers has secured to the short arm 38 thereof a spiing 39. The otherbell crank lever has its short arm 40 arranged in the path of the pin 28so that as the axle 8a is rotated the engagement of the pin 28 with thearm 40 will oscillate the bell crank levers 37 which Will, through thelinks 36, also cause the pusher-arm 35 to move forwardly, as isdisclosed in Fig. 3. After the pin has moved out of engagement with thearm 40, the spring 39 retracts the pusher-arm 35 so that a fresh sliceof bread may be placed Within the U-shaped feed hopper 32. ln

order to hold the carrier rigidly in alinement With the feed hopper 32,guides 40 and 41 are preferably provided against which the carrierssuccessively rest when in alinement with the feed hopper. These guidesare preferably slightly curved at their ends so as to permit thecarriers to change from their vertical to horizontal position.

As is evident the slices of bread may not be of uniform size and forthis reason the length of the stroke of the arm 35 is made suiiicient toinsure that the smaller slices of bread Will be correctly placed Withinthe carrier. The larger slices may therefore be projected too farthrough the opposite end of the carrier and for this reason a guide 46is provided Which is secured to one of the cross pieces 4, which guideWill, as a carrier passes out of alinement with the feed hopper, engagethe projecting end of the slice of bread and move it back to its correctposition naat/,eas

Within the carrier. shown in Fig. 2.

rflic heat for toasting the bread is sup lied by two hot plates 47 and48, which pates preferably consist of the usual electric h`ot platecontaining a resistance (not shown) so that when electric current ispassed through the plates will soon become heated to the desiredtemperature. The terminals for the electric wires are as shown at 48Which Wires, as is well understood, should be connected to any suitablesource of electric energy. The hot plates 47 and 48 are preferablymounted upon cross pieces 49 which fit loosely over threaded studs 50depending from the cross pieces 4 and 5. The cross pieces 49 are held inposition by means of nuts 5l Which may be adjusted to vary the distancefrom `the surface of the hot plates to the carrier.

rfhecperation Will be obvious from the preceding description, but willnow be briefly described. The hot plates 47 and 48 are first brought tothe proper temperature by passing an electric current through them inthe usual manner. The motor 2l is then started, and the pulleys rotatingin the direction of the arrows cause the carriers to be brought oneafter the other into alinement with the feeding mechanism. The operatorstanding` adjacent to the feeding mechanism places a slice of breadWithin the feed hopper 32 and as one of the carriers comes intoalinement With the feed hopper, the rotating pin 28 will cause thepusherarm to move orwardly and place the slice of bread Within thecarrier. The pusher-arm 35 is then retracted by meansof the spring Thisguide is clearly 39 and a fresh slice of bread placed Within i thehopper, Which slice will then be emplaced Within the next carrierbrought into alineinent with the feed hopper. The carriers of theendless conveyer are in this Way completely filled with slices of breadand as the carriers are brought successively over the hot plates 47 and48, both sides of the slice of bread will be toasted to 'an even brown.ln practice it has been found desirable to permit a slice of bread topass over the hot plates several times in order to insure a uniformtoast. The toasted slices are then discharged from the carriers andfresh pieces placed Within the carriers by means of the feed mechanismdescribed, since it is obvious that the act of emplacing va fresh sliceof bread Within a. carrier Will discharge the toasted slice from theopposite end thereof Where it may drop into any suitable receptacle, notshown.

lt has also been found in practice that the particular shape of thecarrier is of importance, since the edges of the slices of bread areprotected by the perforated carrier which will prevent them from beingburned, the radiation of heat from the metallic portions of the carrierbeing sufficient,y for its purpose. The fact that the carrier is ofperforated material, however, permits sufficient heat to reach the edgesof the bread to insure their being toasted the proper amount withoutburning.

I claim:

l. In a bread toaster, the combina-tion of carriers for slices of breadeach comprising a perforated cage, having two opposite sides open forthe introduction and removal of the slices of bread, the other sidesbeing closed to protect the edges of the slices of bread from burning,and means to move said carriers relatively to a source of heat.

2. A carrier for supporting slices of bread coniprisin a perforated cagehaving two opposite sldes open for the introduction and removal of theslices of bread, the other sides being closed to protect the edges ofthe slices of bread fromburning.

3. In a bread toaster, the combination with an endless conveyer and aplurality of carriers attached thereto, of electrically heated platesarranged beneaththe upper and lower stretches of the conveyer, means forfeeding slices of bread to the carriers comprising a feed hopper, apusher arm in said hopper, and means actuated by the conveyer foroperating the pusher arm.

4. In a bread toaster, an endless conveyer having open ended carriersfor lthe slices of bread and a guide arranged adjacent one side of theconveyer adapted to engage the slices of bread projecting beyond theends of the open ended carriers.

5. In a bread toaster, an endless conveyer having a plurality of openended carriers for the slices of bread, means for` revolving theconveyer, means actuated by the conveyer for automatically feeding theslices 0f bread to said carriers through the open ends thereof whilesaid conveyer is'in motion, and

.a guide arranged adjacent one side of the of bread to the carrierscomprising a feed hopper, a pusher-arm in said hopper, a pair ofbell-crank levers attached to said pusherarm, and means for operatingsaid bell-crank levers.

8. In a bread toaster of the type in which an endless conveyer isprovided with a plurality of carriers, means for feeding slices of breadto the carriers comprising a feed hopper, a pusher-arm in sai hopper, apair of bellfcrank levers attached to said pusherarm, and a rotatingspindle provided with a cam for actuating said bell-crank levers.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

AGNES BLANCHE HILL,

Ewecut of Arthur A. Hill, deceased.

